Vinod Kumar is a seasoned B2B marketing leader with over 20 years of experience, currently serving as Head of Marketing at 24/7.ai, a global customer experience management company with 15,000 people across 10 countries. At 24/7, he oversees innovative programs like SAGE (Strategic Account Growth Engagement) and CAMP (Customer Advocacy Marketing Program), balancing creative marketing fundamentals with cutting-edge AI solutions. His strategic approach has consistently delivered results through both high-touch Account-Based Marketing campaigns and inbound marketing strategies
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:10 Building a Brand for Demand Generation
03:58 The Role of AI in Marketing
07:16 Understanding the B2B Marketing Landscape
10:04 The Significance of Content in B2B Marketing
12:57 Balancing Brand Building and Demand Generation
16:18 Organic vs Paid Marketing Strategies
19:10 The Power of Personalization in Content Marketing
21:57 Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Strategies
26:31 Understanding ABM Strategy for Startups
30:19 Aligning Sales and Marketing for Success
31:47 Balancing Creativity and Technology in Marketing
35:33 Navigating the Marketing Technology Landscape
38:20 The Role of AI in Modern Marketing
42:39 Essential Skills for Marketing Professionals
47:51 The Importance of Stakeholder Management
50:14 Hiring for Marketing: Key Skills to Look For
Connect with Vinod:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinodkm/
Connect with Jaydip:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaydipsikdar/
What you'll learn:
🔸 Why most marketers get distracted by shiny tools but forget the marketing fundamentals (and how to avoid this trap)
🔸 The perfect balance between paid and organic marketing for maximum B2B impact
🔸 How 24/7 closed one of their biggest deals from an inbound lead, proving brand marketing matters even in B2B
🔸 Why Account-Based Marketing (ABM) takes time to deliver results
🔸 The marketing leadership skills nobody talks about but everyone needs
🔸 How AI is changing B2B marketing (and which tools are actually worth investing in)
🔸 Why treating AI tools as allies rather than saviors is the key to marketing success
Also Available at 👇
YouTube: https://youtu.be/w382KiUr6yY
Spotify: **[link]**
Some key takeaways:
1. Marketing alignment with organizational goals is non-negotiable. Different phases require different marketing approaches. Growth-focused companies need demand generation, while expansion requires market development and research.
2. Content is still king, queen, and emperor in B2B. Without meaningful, personalized content that educates your audience, you can't build trust, and 95% of your target market is just educating themselves, not actively buying.
3. Brand building and demand generation go hand in hand. Research shows that 86% of B2B decision-makers already knew the vendor before signing, proving that you can't separate brand from demand.
4. The marketing-sales relationship is like a marriage—you'll have problems, but finding solutions together is essential. Keep sales updated on marketing's progress to build confidence in your process.
5. ABM requires patience. Vinod shares a story about how a company pursued an account for 7 years before closing a $100M deal that was originally scoped at $20M—proof that ABM works, but not for quick results.
6. Creativity remains essential despite the proliferation of tools. The best B2B marketers split their focus between tools and creative thinking, writing better headlines, telling compelling stories, and solving communications problems.
7. Attitude and drive matter most for career growth in marketing. Success requires taking calculated risks, trying new approaches, finding mentors, and building relationships with cross-functional stakeholders.
Production by The Marketing Couch. For inquiries about appearing on the podcast, contact geetha@unstoppable.club